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UPDATE: No drones over Charlottesville

Last week, I posted my concerns that the war on terror would lead to an expansion of state power beyond the military. One example, was the non-military use of drones within the United States. Well, yesterday Charlottesville City Council passed a two-year moratorium on unmanned drones within the city. There is a similar bill currently active in the Virginia State Legislature and in Oregon.

While it is creating a lot of buzz, this bill is largely symbolic. But I see it as a first step in limiting the slow chipping away of civil liberties in the name of security. Either way, it is an interesting opportunity to observe the state in action as it attempts to develop more sophisticated means of monitoring individuals.